Columbia College president is accused of operating one of many worst ‘hotbeds of anti-Semitism and hate’ as she defends ‘peaceable’ Hamas protesters

Columbia College President Nemat Shafik is within the scorching seat as Republicans accuse her of operating one of many worst ‘hotbeds of anti-Semitism and hate’ on campus.

Shafik is testifying earlier than the Home Schooling and Workforce Committee Wednesday, months after an identical listening to led to the ouster of Harvard President Claudine Homosexual over her anti-Semitic remarks.

Home GOP convention chair Rep. Elise Stefanik accused Columbia’s management of refusing to ‘implement their very own insurance policies and condemn Jewish hatred on campus, making a breeding floor for antisemitism and a hotbed of help for terrorism from radicalized college and college students.’ 

Chairwoman Virginia Foxx performed a clip of scholars rallying at Columbia and shouting ‘Intifada!’ and ‘We are going to honor all of the martyrs!’ in reference the Hamas attackers on Oct. 7.  

‘Whereas antisemitism has been festering on quite a few school campuses, Columbia College stands out as one of many worst offenders,’ Foxx insisted. 

Shafik insisted she has aggressively labored to fight antisemitism on campus, together with holding over 200 conferences on the subject, holding each day conferences of the campus safety group and dealing with the NYPD and FBI when hate crimes happen on campus. 

She stated the ‘overwhelming majority’ of protests on campus have been ‘peaceable’ and stated the school is concentrated on upholding free speech, however ‘can’t and should not tolerate abuses this pledge to harass and discriminate.’

Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., requested Shafik if chanting ‘intifada’ violates Columbia’s guidelines. 

‘I discover extremely distressing, and I want profoundly individuals wouldn’t use them on our campus,’ stated Shafik. ‘It is abhorrent and has and has no place in our neighborhood.’

She went on: ‘I believe one of many points that we’re actively debating now … is to really make clear the place language crosses the road from protected speech to discriminatory or harassing speech.’

Present Columbia college students additionally say the college has completed nothing a couple of ‘tsunami of antisemitism’ on campus after the Hamas assault on October 7, 2022.

Jewish college students advised tales of Star of David necklaces being ripped off necks whereas the stroll to class, having antisemitic slogans shouted of their faces as they stated Columbia presents ‘no transparency about what they’re doing, if something to the individuals violating the college guidelines.’ 

‘Within the 5 months following October 7, the Columbia administration sat idly by as a tsunami of anti semitism within the types of harassment, bullying, exclusion, intimidation, and bodily violence flooded each side of campus life,’ one Jewish pupil stated at a information convention forward of the listening to. 

President Shafik stated one of many solutions from the college’s antisemitism activity drive was to restrict the locations the place college students might protest. 

‘If you will chant it ought to solely be in a sure place so individuals do not wish to hear it, or shielded from having to listen to it.’

‘The last word reply to anti-Semitism and all its varieties is schooling,’ stated Shafik. 

An earlier antisemitism listening to in January had devastating penalties for different college presidents who Republicans criticized for excusing antisemitism: Harvard President Claudine Homosexual and Penn President Liz Magill resigned after their look earlier than the Schooling and Workforce Commitee.

Rating Democrat Bobby Scott performed a clip of the Charlottesville ‘Unite the Proper’ rally in 2017. 

‘Whereas I respect my colleagues’ newfound issues for some college students of all rights on campus, I’d word that it’s at odds with Home Republicans’ price range proposals,’ he stated.